Aliens! Aaaah!

OUT & ABOUT

At Carmike Cinema

March 17, 2011

Aberdeen News

Paul

What if the lovable E.T. had been a fun-loving, potty-mouthed party animal? That is the central premise of this comedy about two British nerds (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of “Shaun of the Dead”) who befriend an extra-terrestrial near Area 51. The trailer looks silly, but the director is Greg Mottola (“Adventureland,” “Superbad”), so we are keeping our hopes up. (R, 104 minutes)

The Lincoln Lawyer

Matthew McConaughey enters the courtroom for the first time since 1996's “A Time to Kill” in this adaptation of Michael Connelly's novel about a lawyer who conducts his business from his Lincoln town car. (R, 119 minutes)

Limitless

Bradley Cooper is a novelist suffering from writer's block whose life is slowly falling apart - until he starts popping illegal pills that allow him to make full use of his brain's abilities and turn him into a super-genius. But the drug has unforeseen side effects, and the proverbial hell soon breaks loose. Robert DeNiro co-stars as a Wall Street tycoon who takes an interest in the new Brainiac who seems to know everything about everything. (PG-13, 106 minutes)

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Lord of the Dance in 3-D

The stage performance of Michael Flatley and company is brought to the big screen in 3-D. Watch out for flying feet. (PG, 100 minutes)

Battle: Los Angeles

Jonathan Liebesman's disaster film doesn't rely as much as others in the genre on the gleeful horror of seeing familiar landmarks burn. Instead, this West Coast version of alien invasion distinguishes itself as an urban warfare film and a patriotic ad for the Marines. A dozen alien ships land on Earth - we only care about the one just off L.A. - and in the ensuing carnage, a platoon of Marines are sent into the fray with the seemingly inconsequential mission of rescuing a handful of civilians (Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena). The weary veteran Staff Sgt. Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) isn't their lieutenant (Ramon Rodriguez), but he's effectively their leader in survival and Marine honor. The talented Eckhart and Liebesman manage to pull off the ultra-seriousness for much of the film, before a laughable speech of teary-eyed inspiration finally does them in. There's oddly little sense of Los Angeles throughout. Instead, the movie stays close to the ground, bogged down in block-by-block combat. L.A. traffic triumphs again. (PG-13, 116 minutes)

Mars Needs

Moms

Cute characters and a “Star Wars” derived plot - rescuing a damsel from a heavily garrisoned “citadel” - drive this tale, a movie more interested in action beats than in big laughs. It's not bad, and is considerably more kid-friendly than the trippy and more adult-oriented “Rango.” It's just not as much fun as a live-action version of the same story might have been. Milo (voiced by Seth Green) hates taking out the trash and won't eat his broccoli. And when Mom (Joan Cusack) lays down the law - “No broccoli, no TV,” he revolts. “My life would be so much better if I didn't have a mom at all.” Milo, who looks to be about 11, learns a big life lesson with that. Words can wound. He makes his mom cry. Imagine his guilt when, a few hours later, she's abducted by aliens. He scrambles after her and learns an awful secret - “Mars Needs Moms.” And not just any moms, GOOD moms. Ones who lay down the law, teach their children respect, discipline, manners and values, maybe teach their kids not to kick the seat in front of them at the movie theater. Milo is at a loss about how to rescue Mom until he himself is saved by Gribble, a portly subterranean nerd played by Dan Fogler, and he learns just how much his mom means to him. “Mars Needs Moms,” but Milo needs Mom even more. (PG, 88 minutes)